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Artwork for Local SEO

Local SEO - The Expert’s Guide

Sterling Sky Inc.
Google
Local SEO
Google Business Profile
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Youtube
Google AI
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Negative Reviews
Search Engine Optimization
On-Page SEO
Sterling Sky
Fake Reviews
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AI In Local Search
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The podcast where local SEO meets expert insight! Join host Joy Hawkins, CEO and owner of Sterling Sky, renowned local SEO specialist and a member of the Google Product Experts Program, as she dives deep with guests into the world of local search engine optimization, digital marketing, and SEO. In each episode, Joy will interview experts and share her wealth of knowledge, backed by rigorous testin... more

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Artwork for Local SEO

Latest Episodes

👉 www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/

Fake reviews that won’t get removed. Listings suspended without warning. No clear answers from Google.

In Part 2 of this exclusive episode, ex-Googlers explain what actually triggers suspensions, what qualif... more

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www.sterlingsky.ca/local-seo/

In Part 1 of this exclusive Episode, I sit down with former Google employees Joel Headley and Brad Wetherall to uncover what really happens behind the scenes of Google Business Profiles, and what business owners... more

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In this episode, we sit down with SEO legend James Dooley, who has built and ranked over 1,000 domains and generated more than 2 million enquiries online. If you’re wondering how to rank a website on Google in 2026, this is the conversation you need ... more

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Ever had a customer swear they left a 5-star review, but it never appears or vanishes without a trace? With sophisticated artificial intelligence and advanced pattern recognition capabilities, algorithms are getting better at identifying unusual acti... more

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Google's increasingly aggressive crackdowns and harsher core updates are significantly impacting Local SEO and AI search professionals. Medium to Small Businesses are experiencing major traffic losses due to these changes, often without understanding... more

Google Business Profile suspensions, disappearing reviews, and sudden listing removals are happening more often than ever, and most business owners have no idea why.

In this webinar, we sit down with a seasoned Google Business Profile product expert... more

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AI is changing local SEO fast—and your Google visibility may be shrinking even if rankings haven’t dropped. Using data from 179 Google Business Profiles, this video exposes how AI Local Packs are replacing the 3-pack, slashing calls and traffic. Lear... more

In this exclusive session, we’re joined by Mike King, one of the sharpest minds in search, to unpack the wildest shifts happening in Google’s AI-powered results right now. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at real tactics Mike is using for clients ... more

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Recent Guests

Brad Weatherall
GBP expert and agency principal, gbpexperts.com
GBP Experts (agency)
Episode: Why Your Google Reviews Disappear (Ex-Googlers Explain)
Brad Wetherall
Former Google employee who worked on GBP-related teams
Google (former)
Episode: Ex-Googlers Reveal 3 Google Business Profile Secrets | Brad Wetherall & Joel Headley
Joel Headley
Former Google employee who worked on GBP-related teams
Google (former)
Episode: Ex-Googlers Reveal 3 Google Business Profile Secrets | Brad Wetherall & Joel Headley
James Dooley
SEO expert who has built over a thousand websites and ranks them on Google
Independent SEO consultant / agency founder
Episode: 2026 SEO Secrets That Ranked 1,000+ Sites (James Dooley)
Claudia Tamina
CEO of Reputation Arm, product expert in local SEO and review strategies
Reputation Arm
Episode: The 2026 Google Business Profile Review Trends You Can’t Ignore | Claudia Tomina
Lily Ray
VP of SEO Strategy and Research at AMSEV
AMSEV (Agency)
Episode: Is SEO Screwed? Lily Ray on Google’s CRACKDOWN For 2026
Ben Fischer
GBP suspension expert, head of GBP reinstatement work
Steady Demand
Episode: Google Business Profile Violations Google ACTUALLY Punishes
Mike King
CEO and Founder at iPoRank
iPoRank
Episode: Ranking in Google’s AI Results in 2026 with Mike King
Darren Shaw
Founder of Whitespark, local SEO expert
Whitespark
Episode: Surviving Local SEO in 2026: 3 Major Threats You Must Prepare For

Host

Joy Hawkins
Host of the show, guiding conversations on local SEO, testing, and actionable insights.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why Your Google Reviews Disappear (Ex-Googlers Explain)
Q: What should a business prioritize in the next year given AI and ongoing GBP updates?
Prioritize authentic, user-generated content (reviews, photos, local posts) and ensure your GBP is active and well-supported with local signals; focus on building domain-level authority and avoid manipulating categories or names, as these practices risk suspensions.
Why Your Google Reviews Disappear (Ex-Googlers Explain)
Q: Joel, can you explain why flagging a review multiple times could be more effective than a single report?
Multiple flags can generate several independent review tickets, increasing the likelihood that at least one reviewer flags it as a policy violation, leading to removal; however, this relies on genuine signals and is not a guaranteed outcome.
How to Fight Fake Reviews in 2025: Proven Tactics from Experts
Q: How do you differentiate between a competitor's legitimate positive reviews and fraudulent ones?
Look for pattern-based indicators such as review content quality, geographic and language signals, and the number of reviews coming from the same small set of contributors; combine content and behavioral metrics.
How to Fight Fake Reviews in 2025: Proven Tactics from Experts
Q: What is the quickest way to remove a fake review that's harming a business?
Take proactive, organized action, flag the review, and if needed flag the contributor profile; combine evidence and be prepared for back-and-forth with Google support.
How to Fight Fake Reviews in 2025: Proven Tactics from Experts
Q: In your experience, is it better to respond to a fake review or ignore it at first?
Begin by not responding immediately; wait to see if the review will be removed within a few weeks, then decide whether to respond mainly to inform potential customers and protect reputation.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Local SEO

What is Local SEO about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Cocusing on practical local SEO strategies, this show features in-depth conversations with seasoned practitioners, agency leaders, and technology-minded experts. Episodes frequently center on Google's updates, AI-driven signals, reputation management, GBP suspensions, and multi-channel tactics for winning local visibility. A standout pattern is rigorous testing and real-world case studies that translate into actionable tactics for service-area businesses, multi-location brands, and local service providers. The host curates guests with deep hands-on experience in ranking, reviews, and local search architecture, making it a valuable resource for marketers, agency owners, and operators aiming to drive leads and conversions through local search... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Local SEO?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Local SEO. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Local SEO and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Local SEO get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Local SEO, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Local SEO?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Local SEO, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Local SEO have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Local SEO has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Local SEO?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Local SEO:

1. The Whitespark Local Update
2. Local SEO in 10
3. The Side Hustle Show
4. The Game with Alex Hormozi
5. My First Million

How many episodes of Local SEO are there?

Local SEO launched 2 years ago and published 32 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Local SEO?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Local SEO?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Local SEO from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Local SEO?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Local SEO. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Local SEO?

Recent guests on Local SEO include:

1. Brad Weatherall
2. Brad Wetherall
3. Joel Headley
4. James Dooley
5. Claudia Tamina
6. Lily Ray
7. Ben Fischer
8. Mike King

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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